Guide: Fix ‘Windows 10 Nearby Sharing Not Working’ Issue
While Microsoft took the time to come up with its own Apple-like AirDrop feature In the form of Near Sharing, the ability to finally share files between PCs without having to search for a USB stick is more than welcome. Due to the sheer amount of Windows 10 devices with various hardware components, not to mention technological limitations, using Close Share can sometimes become an awkward painful task. If you’re having trouble sharing files, here are some quick ones tips that you can try to find out the exact cause and hopefully fix any complications for good as well. Note: If you don’t own the other device you want to share files with, consider asking the owner to go through the following troubleshooting tips next to you one after the other.
If you don’t see the other device
If you don’t even see the device you want to share files with when you try to start Nearby Sharing from an app like Microsoft Edge, Photos or File Explorer, then there are several reasons that could be causing the problem.
Turn on Sharing nearby
This should sound obvious, but often the simplest things are the ones we forget the most. So here we go – have you enabled Nearby Sharing on both devices? Simply enabling it on the device you want to share the file with isn’t enough – you really have to have it up and runs on both devices. To do this, open the action center – just click on the notification bubble on the right side of the system tray, then click on the tile labeled Share nearby. If it is not immediately visible, click Expand to open it up any hidden tiles.
If you don’t see the Nearby Sharing option in the Action Center at all, let’s see why that might happen next.
Update Windows 10
If you didn’t know, Sharing was nearby feature that was added to the operating system in the January Spring Creators Update. So if you are using previous versions of Windows 10, don’t be surprised that the option is missing. A metered connection may have prevented Windows 10 from automatically updating to the latest build. But either way, let’s check if the device is running the required version of Windows 10. Step 1: Type in the Start menu about, and select About your PC from the search results.
Step 2: Scroll down to the Windows specifications section. You should now be able to see the Windows 10 version next to Version, which should be ‘1803’ or higher.
If the device does not have version 1803 or higher installed, you need to update it to get the Nearby Sharing feature. To do this, type Updates into the Start menu, then select Check for updates. Note: Updating to version 1803 can take a significant amount of time and bandwidth to complete, but after that you should be able to see Nearby Sharing in the Action Center. Then just turn it on. If you still have detection problems even with the latest version of Windows 10 installed, you should check Bluetooth compatibility.
Check Bluetooth compatibility
Microsoft designed the Nearby Sharing feature feature to function via Bluetooth, but it doesn’t stop there. Your devices actually need Bluetooth adapters with firmware version 4.0 or higher to begin with – and if that wasn’t enough, they also need to support the Bluetooth Low Energy specification. Step 1: Type device manager from the Start menu, then select Device Manager from the search results.
Step 2: Expand Bluetooth, right-click on your Bluetooth adapter and select Properties.
Step 3: Click the tab labeled Advanced. Next, check the LMP value next to Firmware Version – it should display a value of 6.x or higher to indicate a Bluetooth firmware version of 4.0.
As you can see, the screenshot above shows an LMP value of just 4.x which is well below the firmware version required for Nearby Sharing. Step 4: Switch to the tab labeled Details, then use the drop-down menu under Property to select Bluetooth radio supports low power central role. Once selected, the area below value should be read as ‘True’ to indicate support for the specification.
Again, the screenshot above indicates a Bluetooth adapter with the value ‘False’, which means that it does not support the Bluetooth Low Energy specification. Likewise, if one of your devices doesn’t meet these criteria, your nearby sharing experience should end here. You can of course still use an external Bluetooth adapter features both firmware version 4.0 and support for the Low Energy specification on the problematic device. But if you are in a hurry, using a flash drive to transfer your data is much faster!
Configure shared experiences
If the Bluetooth adapters on both devices aren’t a factor, but you still can’t detect every device from each other, then you should thoroughly configure the Nearby Sharing options. Sharing nearby features a setting that basically hides all devices that you don’t own. Hence, make it a point to go through the steps below, especially if you are about to share something with someone else. The same goes for the other device. Step 1: Type in the Start menu shared experiencesand then click Change shared experience settings in the search results.
Step 2: Under the section labeled Nearby Sharing, open the drop-down menu under I Can Share or Receive content from and select Everyone nearby.
If one of the two devices had previously had this option set to My devices only, changing this option to Everyone nearby should ensure that they can successfully detect each other.
If you see the device but can’t Share
Another problem that can crop up is when Share Close lets you initiate a file transfer, but the other device gives no indication of receiving your files. If that happens, there are a few things to keep in mind to keep Nearby Sharing working normally.
Keep devices closer
While Bluetooth has a mediocre range when it comes to connectivity, both devices need to be fairly close for ‘Close Share’ to work properly.
Ideally, you are within a range of 100 feet, or even closer. If possible, try to keep both devices in the same room to avoid walls or other obstructions interfering with the Bluetooth connection.
Check Action Center
As soon as Nearby Share sends a file, the other device will usually receive a toast notification, which allows the user to save the file directly or open it automatically after downloading.
However, Windows 10 sometimes doesn’t show notifications, especially when Focus Assist is on. If so, just open the action center and you will see the Nearby Sharing notification mentioned in it.
Check the device name
If you have many Windows 10 devices with Nearby Sharing enabled, you may have accidentally sent the file to the wrong person. By default, Windows 10 uses a combination of letters and numbers to name a device, adding to the confusion. Therefore, consider double checking the device name. Step 1: Open the Start menu, type sysdm.cplthen press Enter.
The System Properties dialog box should load up now. Step 2: On the Computer Name tab, you will find the name of the device next to Full Computer Name. Note: You may also want to consider changing the computer name to something more identifiable, but that can lead to additional complications related to the availability of network resources. If you don’t mind, use the Change button listed in the System Properties dialog box to do that.
If the connection drops / files are transferred slowly
If you’ve already shared a file but find the input process very slow, or if you find that large files cannot be transferred after some time, let’s see what you can do to improve your overall Nearby Sharing experience .
Hook Up to wifi
Bluetooth is not the fastest way to transfer files locally. If you find that copying your files takes a long time – or to make matters worse, if the connection keeps dropping – consider connecting both devices to a Wi-Fi network.
That should instead prompt Nearby Sharing to copy your files over Wi-Fi instead. However, don’t expect to ditch Bluetooth just yet – you still need it to establish the Near Sharing connection in the first place. Note: Make sure to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, Nearby Sharing will just hold on to Bluetooth to transfer your files.
Make connections public
If connecting to Wi-Fi doesn’t speed things up up, don’t forget to set the network profile for both devices as Public. If you don’t, your devices won’t be able to connect to each other over Wi-Fi. Step 1: Click the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar, then click Properties under the connected Wi-Fi profile.
Step 2: Just tap the radio button next to Public, and you should be good to go. Note: If you set the network profile to Public, it may open up your devices against all kinds of security vulnerabilities. Therefore, do not do this if you are on a busy network that you do not fully trust, such as in a shopping center.
Everything good?
Hopefully, you are now done with whatever problem bothering you – other than Bluetooth incompatibility issues, which is a big disappointment as you should consider handing out cash for an external adapter. So, any other suggestions or solutions you’d like to share? Let us know in comments.
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